PICTURE: Captured Soviet 45 PstK/32 antitank gun. (Photo taken in Panssarimuseo). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (36 KB).

PICTURE: Captured Soviet 45 PstK/37 antitank gun. (Photo taken in Sotamuseo). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (39 KB).

PICTURE: Captured Soviet 45 PstK/38 antitank gun. The guns limber is partly visible behind. (Photo taken in Jalkaväkimuseo). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (52 KB).

PICTURE: Captured Soviet 45 PstK/38-41 antitank gun. (Photo taken in Panssarimuseo). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (24 KB).

distance	hitting angle	penetration
500 m	90 degrees	60 mm

- "Guns vs Armour website" by D.M. Honner (B-250 and BR-240 APHE, 760 m/sec):

distance	hitting angle	penetration
100 m	90 degrees	52 mm
500 m	90 degrees	43 mm
1000 m	90 degrees	35 mm
1500 m	90 degrees	28 mm
2000 m	90 degrees	23 mm
100 m	60 degrees	43 mm
500 m	60 degrees	35 mm
1000 m	60 degrees	28 mm
1500 m	60 degrees	23 mm
2000 m	60 degrees	19 mm

- "Artillery of World War Two":

distance	hitting angle	penetration
915 m	60 degrees	38 mm

distance	hitting angle	penetration
500 m	90 degrees	47 mm

distance	hitting angle	penetration
500 m	90 degrees	53 mm
1000 m	90 degrees	40 mm
1500 m	90 degrees	30 mm
500 m	60 degrees	44 mm
1000 m	60 degrees	33 mm
1500 m	60 degrees	25 mm
500 m	30 degrees	16 mm
1000 m	30 degrees	12 mm
1500 m	30 degrees	9 mm

distance	hitting angle	penetration
100 m	70 degrees	57 mm
200 m	70 degrees	55 mm
300 m	70 degrees	53 mm
400 m	70 degrees	52 mm
500 m	70 degrees	50 mm
600 m	70 degrees	48 mm
800 m	70 degrees	45 mm
1000 m	70 degrees	42 mm
1500 m	70 degrees	35 mm
2000 m	70 degrees	28 mm
2500 m	70 degrees	22 mm

The Soviets had realised that they needed antitank-guns already in late 1920's and first bought 37-mm antitank-guns from German firm Rheinmetall, but soon they also started developing their own versions. Soviet 45-mm at-gun m/32 was basically an slightly enlarged version of early German 37-mm antitank-gun, with wooden wheels and all. Largest differences (other the calibre and larger size) were in sights and production methods.

Only few years later the wooden wheels were replaced with rubber wheels, which had spokes and were more suitable for faster towing speeds (read: motorised towing). Also the structure of towing system proved to have problems in high towing speeds, so it was modified, guns with this improvement were named as m/37. Modification of towing system was not totally successful, so further improvements were made and they resulted intoroding m/38. One important technical difference for these guns was also in semi-automatic (after firing a shot it removed used cartridge case was remained open for the next round) breech system used in these guns: In m/32 the semiautomatic-mechanism worked only with APHE-ammunition, which meant reduced rate-of-fire with other ammunition types (such as high explosive). All versions starting from m/37 had improved semi-automatic mechanism, which worked also with other ammunition types. Later more easily produced version called m/38-41 was introduced. Reason to separate these guns to different types was the spare-parts maintenance, different gun types demanded spare parts which were not interchangeable. During World War 2 the Soviets introduced first emergency version (it had very much improvised gun platform) that the Finns called m/41 and later a normal-quality version with notably longer barrel known as m/42.

Reasons behind these new antitank-gun models were also fairly obvious, emergency version was made in hurried times of 1941 when the Soviets needed any weapons that could be produced fast. Later m/42 with its longer barrel was an effort of trying to get more muzzle velocity and therefore better armour penetration capability. When introduced in early 1930's Soviet 45-mm at-gun was excellent weapon, at that time its AP shell had enough power to punch through both walls of typical tanks of that time. Year 1939 it still was more effective than most antitank-guns of that time and was powerful enough to be threat to all tanks. Fast progress of tanks during World War 2 left it behind, new medium and heavy tanks proved difficult or impossible for it to kill and by end of the war it had become quite outdated as antitank-gun. However besides armour piercing shells, these guns had also high explosive shells, which were highly effective for gun of this caliber range. The Soviets also used their 45-mm antitank-guns routinely for direct fire support in the frontline, so the HE-shells proved highly useful. All Soviet 45-mm antitank-guns were suitable both to motorized towing and being towed with horses. Two horses and a limber were needed for horse-towing the gun.

PICTURE: Another photo of 45 PstK/37 antitank gun. (Photo taken in Sotamuseo). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (54 KB).

Finnish troops captured some 125 Soviet 45-mm antitank-guns during Winter War. As the Finns had serious shortage of antitank-guns the captured guns were were shortly pressed to Finnish use. Finnish soldiers compared the 45-mm Soviet antitank-guns to 37-mm Bofors guns and considered them to be somewhat roughly made but effective. Antitank training centre started soon training crews for them and the Finns lost couple of these guns in combat already during this first war (Winter War). 93 of 45-mm antitank-guns captured in Winter War remained in Finnish use in June of 1940 and M/32 was the most numerous model in Finnish use at that time. During first three months of Continuation War in year 1941 Finnish troops captured much more of these guns - almost 400 more. During the trench war period (Dec 1941 - June 1944) their number in Finnish use peaked to some 670 guns. Battles of summer 1944 were very costly to 45-mm antitank-guns and the Finns lost dozens of them, but in last battles they were again captured in large numbers, so in the end the total number in Finnish use didn't that much by end of World War 2.

Year 1948 still 475 of captured 45-mm antitank-guns remained in Finnish inventory:

PICTURE: Closer look to systems of 45 PstK/37 antitank gun. Comparing to German 37 PstK/37 easily reveals the close relation, but also change in breech system. While German antitank-gun used horizontal sliding breech block the Soviet 45-mm antitank-guns had vertical sliding breech block. Notice also captured Soviet optical sight. (Photo taken in Sotamuseo). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (68 KB).

Finnish Army ammunition manuals list following ammunition for captured 45-mm antitank-guns:

About half of the ammunition used by the Finns with these guns was captured, while the other half was Finnish made. Finnish production for APHE-tracer ammunition started in VTT (Valtion Tykkitehdas = State Artillery factory) in late 1940 and production of HE ammunition started in 1942. Finnish wartime production for these guns totalled almost 112,000 AP-tracer shells and over 358,000 HE-shells. In addition 15,000 HE-shells and 15,000 APHE-shells were bought from Germany in 1944. Soviet ammunition inventory for these guns included also APCR shells, but captured APCR ammunition is not listed in Finnish ammunition manuals. So it is quite possible that none or only very small number was captured. Anyway Soviet production of APCR-ammunition for these guns doesn't seem to have started until year 1942, at which point the Finnish attack had stopped and capturing large amount of Soviet equipment had become rare. Finnish troops captured only two long-barrel M/42 antitank guns. They were both captured in summer of 1944 (first one in Kuuterselkä battle in mid-June of 1944) and Finnish military never used them.

Sights that Finnish military used with captured 45-mm Soviet antitank guns fell into three categories:

Losses of captured 45-mm Soviet antitank-guns during period 9^th of June - 7^th of July 1944:

After World War the guns, that still remained were warehoused. Being numerous they remained reserved for antitank use with Finnish military until year 1960. Finnish coastal defence troops had used these guns already during Continuation War and after World War 2 coastal defence just received more of them, when the Army no longer needed them. In their coastal (beach defence) role they remained in Finnish use until late 1980's or so and also special fixed mount was introduced for this use. Since early 1990's these guns have been sold to museums and collectors little by little.

(47 mm antitank guns M/35 and M/39)

(*) 47 mm x 185 R used with 47 PstK/35 and 47 mm x 195 R used with 47 PstK/39.

distance	hitting angle	penetration
500 m	90 degrees	44 mm

distance	hitting angle	penetration
100 m	90 degrees	56 mm
500 m	90 degrees	43 mm
1000 m	90 degrees	31 mm
1500 m	90 degrees	23 mm

distance	hitting angle	penetration
500 m	90 degrees	40 mm

distance	hitting angle	penetration
1000 m	90 degrees	30 mm

Both of these guns were versions of infantry/antitank gun manufactured by Austrian company Böhler starting from mid 1930's. From these two gun types Austrian M/35 was the original version while, while M/39 was improved Italian version which was more focused to antitank use. Other countries that bought Böhler guns or its production license included Romania, Lithuania and Estonia. 47-mm Böhler guns were sold as infantry guns, but they were suitable to be used as antitank-guns as well. Their structure was also somewhat unique as far moving the gun into firing position and setting it ready for use was concerned: Wheels of the gun needed to be removed and front part of gun put on top of a plate-like foot, this gave carriage a three point stand that was both stable and low, making spotting and hitting the gun more difficult for the enemy. However this was obviously also more time consuming than what was usual with antitank-guns of 1930's. Structure used in these guns also allowed them to be dismantled to parts light enough to be carried by men, mules or horses like a mountain gun. However, these special features didn't amend the fact that their ballistics against armour were not particularly good. In addition lacking gun shield left gun crew without the small but important (partly psychological) shelter, that it would have offered against small arms fire and shrapnel.

Finland bought these guns from Switzerland and Italy during Winter War, but in both cases the guns arrived only during Interim Peace. More details of those deals:

The visible differences between the two gun-types were:

As noted the guns didn't use same ammunition even if they were ballistics-wise relatively close to each other. Also production methods used making them had differences, which made spare parts of these two guns non-compatible with each other.

Year 1941 Italian 47 PstK/39 was tested in Panssaripataljoona (Tank Battalion). The test report wasn't very favourable. Besides noting the structural details poorly suiting to Finnish use and the difficulties resulting them, the report also noted that the Italian gun sight was too complicated and armour penetration rather poor for gun of this size. In addition the gun was noted lacking a semiautomatic mechanism used in most antitank-guns. The mechanism would have allowed for it to automatically remove cartridge case and leave the breech open after firing a shot, so this resulted a slower rate of fire. The report ended with suggestion, that if equipped with more suitable (simple) gun sight and suitable HE-round, the gun might be suitable as a bunker gun. However the report apparently didn't lead to any measures.

Parts, to which these antitank-guns could be disassembled for transport:

During early Continuation War troops of Finnish 2^nd Army Corps used these guns shortly. Soon they were removed from frontline use and reissued to coastal defence troops of Lake Ladoga. In spring of 1942 they were transferred to Finnish Navy and remained in there until end of World War 2. After that they remained warehoused until being sold to Interarms and shipped abroad in 1960.

PICTURE: 50 PstK/38 antitank gun with lower part of shield opened up. (Photo taken in Panssarimuseo). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (50 KB).

distance	hitting angle	penetration
500 m	60 degrees	60 mm

Pzgr.38 APHE-T round (823 m/sec):

distance	hitting angle	penetration
0 m	90 degrees	99 mm
250 m	90 degrees	88 mm
500 m	90 degrees	78 mm
750 m	90 degrees	69 mm
1000m	90 degrees	61 mm
1200 m	90 degrees	53 mm
1500 m	90 degrees	47 mm
0 m	60 degrees	73 mm
250 m	60 degrees	67 mm
500 m	60 degrees	61 mm
750 m	60 degrees	56 mm
1000 m	60 degrees	50 mm
1200 m	60 degrees	45 mm
1500 m	60 degrees	40 mm

Pzgr.40 APCR round (tungsten core, 1198 m/sec):

distance	hitting angle	penetration
0 m	90 degrees	165 mm
250 m	90 degrees	141 mm
500 m	90 degrees	120 mm
750 m	90 degrees	101 mm
1000 m	90 degrees	84 mm
1250 m	90 degrees	70 mm
0 m	60 degrees	143 mm
250 m	60 degrees	109 mm
500 m	60 degrees	86 mm
750 m	60 degrees	69 mm
1000 m	60 degrees	55 mm
1250 m	60 degrees	44 mm

Pzgr.38 APHE-T round (835 m/sec / 823 m/sec):

distance	hitting angle	penetration
100 m	60 degrees	69 mm
500 m	90 degrees	75 mm
1000 m	60 degrees	48 mm

Pzgr.40 APCR round (tungsten core, 1180 m/sec):

distance	hitting angle	penetration
100 m	60 degrees	130 mm
500 m	90 degrees	115 mm
1000 m	60 degrees	38 mm

- "Twentieth Century Artillery":

Pzgr.38 APHE-T round (823 m/sec):

distance	hitting angle	penetration
500 m	90 degrees	78 mm

Pzgr.40 APCR round (1198 m/sec):

distance	hitting angle	penetration
500 m	90 degrees	120 mm

distance	hitting angle	penetration
100 m	70 degrees	57 mm
200 m	70 degrees	55 mm
300 m	70 degrees	53 mm
400 m	70 degrees	52 mm
500 m	70 degrees	50 mm
600 m	70 degrees	48 mm
800 m	70 degrees	45 mm
1000 m	70 degrees	42 mm
1500 m	70 degrees	35 mm
2000 m	70 degrees	28 mm
2500 m	70 degrees	22 mm

distance	hitting angle	penetration
100 m	70 degrees	95 mm
200 m	70 degrees	80 mm
300 m	70 degrees	70 mm
400 m	70 degrees	60 mm
500 m	70 degrees	50 mm
600 m	70 degrees	40 mm
800 m	70 degrees	25 mm
1000 m	70 degrees	15 mm
1500 m	70 degrees	10 mm
2000 m	70 degrees	-
2500 m	70 degrees	-

PICTURE: 50 PstK/38 antitank gun with lower part of gun shield folded up. (Photo taken in Panssarimuseo). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (47 KB).

The Germans started having doubts about effectiveness of 3,7 cm Pak already during Spanish Civil War, so Rheinmetall started development of new 5-cm antitank gun in 1938. It took until late 1940 from them to start issuing new 5 cm Pak to their troops and even than production was quite slow early on (still in 1^st of June 1941 German troops located to east had only 107 guns of this type). 5-cm Pak proved a success, with new tungsten-cored Pzgr. 40 ammunition it was able to take out all Allied medium tanks such as T-34/76 and M4 Sherman. However, the shortage of tungsten needed for production of Pzgr.40 projectiles and ever thickening armour in tanks finally were too much for it also, so production of these guns was ended in 1943, by that time over 9,500 had been made.

Finland bought 27 antitank guns of this type in two deliveries:

Also Finnish military became aware of need acquiring more effective antitank-guns after facing number of T-34 and KV-1 tanks in battles of year of 1941. So Finland bought 27 of these antitank-guns from Germany in year 1942. Guns of the first delivery were issued to Finnish troops in August of 1942. They were basically distributed to all main directions of Finnish front, as first delivery was issued to antitank gun companies of Groups of Maaselkä and Aunus while 12 guns from second shipment were given to Isthmus Group and Armour Division. Each of these got enough (6 guns) PstK/38 to arm one antitank company.

PICTURE: 50 PstK/38 antitank gun in field fortified position. Note semi-automatic breech system with horizontal sliding breech block (Photo taken in Panssarimuseo). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (54 KB).

Units with 50 PstK/38 antitank guns in 1^st of May 1944:

German 50-mm at-gun worked well in Finnish hands and short shooting distances Finnish terrain typically offered reduced the problems with most heavily armoured tanks. When delivered it was the most powerful and only antitank gun in Finnish use capable of reliably destroying T-34 tanks, so in late June of 1944 the Finns still expressed to be willing to get these guns delivered instead of heavier 75-mm antitank guns. However, reading battle reports makes clear that killing T-34/85 tanks with was not exactly easy with 50-mm gun, it practically always demanded a position in side of the tanks and close range to succeed. PstK/38 was the first antitank gun in Finnish inventory that was too heavy for few men to effectively push it around, in situations in which gun positions were about to be overrun by Soviet infantry this made taking the gun with the retreating crew quite problematic. So when compared to small number of these guns in use of Finnish Army to begin with the number lost in battle during summer of 1944 was very high and only 15 guns survived the war. The small number of surviving guns may have been a factor for these guns being removed from antitank-weaponry in use of Finnish military already that same year. After WW2 they were warehoused until being declared obsolete in 1986. In late 1980's three guns were sold to collectors and the rest given to museums.

Losses of 50 PstK/38 antitank-guns during period 9^th of June - 7^th of July 1944:

Finnish ammunition manuals list following ammunition for 50 PstK/38 in Finnish use:

PICTURE: 75 PstK/97-38 antitank gun. This gun has been raised from the ground for better storaging. (Photo taken in Tykistömuseo). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (59 KB).

AP round (570 m/sec):

distance	hitting angle	penetration
100 m	60 degrees	61 mm
1000 m	60 degrees	58 mm

HEAT round (450 m/sec):

distance	hitting angle	penetration
any	60 degrees	90 mm

- "Marskin Panssarintuhoojat, page 378":

AP round (590 m/sec):

distance	hitting angle	penetration
300 m	90 degrees	92 mm

HEAT round:

distance	hitting angle	penetration
any	90 degrees	93 mm

distance	hitting angle	penetration
100 m	70 degrees	85 mm
200 m	70 degrees	85 mm
300 m	70 degrees	80 mm
400 m	70 degrees	80 mm
500 m	70 degrees	80 mm
600 m	70 degrees	75 mm
800 m	70 degrees	75 mm
1000 m	70 degrees	70 mm
1500 m	70 degrees	60 mm
2000 m	70 degrees	50 mm
2500 m	70 degrees	45 mm

PICTURE: 75 PstK/97-38 antitank gun ready for transport. German 50-mm and 75-mm antitank guns all had basically the same system with third wheel for towing. Notice the wheel and folded up lower part of gun shield. (Photo taken in Panssarimuseo). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (27 KB).

After running to new Allied medium and heavy tanks (such as Soviet T-34 and KV-1) Germans found out that they needed antitank guns larger than 50 mm Pak. As a stop gap solution this 75-mm antitank gun was introduced. It basically combined gun barrel of French 75-mm model 1897 field gun equipped with muzzle-break to carriage of German 5.0 cm Pak 38. Ammunition used typically included captured French HE-rounds, captured Polish AP-rounds and German made HEAT-rounds, however using AP-rounds was not favoured and HEAT was the main ammunition type in antitank use with German troops. Reason for that was quite simple: Gun was quite unstable and recoil with AP-rounds was so fearsome that Germans nicknamed this gun type as "Mustang". The Gun was introduced to German troops in November of 1941 and in years 1941 - 1942 some 700 guns of this type were manufactured. According some sources the total production totalled about 3700 guns. 7.5 cm Pak 97/38 as Germans called it was far from perfect, but it worked and was cheap to produce (cost and need of work were about two thirds of what was needed with 7.5 cm Pak 40).

PICTURE: Closer look behind gun shield of 75 PstK/97-38 antitank gun. Note Nordenfelt screw breech as in original French m 1897 field gun. Gun sight missing as usual. (Photo taken in Tykistömuseo). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (57 KB).

Finland had bought 48 French 75-mm field guns model 1897 (called 75 K 97 in Finland) and 50,000 shells from France in 1940. Barrels of the bought guns were in terribly wear down condition and dispersion in arch fire was unacceptably large. Year 1942 all 75 K 97 field guns were gathered away from fortification artillery batteries that had used them. By February of 1943 the Finns had decided to check if the Germans were willing to build them 7,5 cm Pak 97/38 antitank-guns from 60 gun barrels of 75 K 97 that the Finns had. An agreement was achieved and the Germans manufactured 46 antitank guns for the Finns by using delivered gun barrels.

Deliveries of these guns arrived:

Finnish soldiers quickly nicknamed these guns "Mulatti" (Mulato) after the combined structure from two guns of two different countries. Compared to other Finnish at-guns these were very good so they were issued to units located all over the frontline and saw had battles in frontline. In battles of summer of 1944 seven guns of this type were lost. Four of the lost guns belonged to 4th Army Corps (in Carelian Isthmus) and two belonged to Aunus Group (in northern shore of Lake Ladoga). After WW2 the remaining 39 guns remained in antitank-weapons inventory of Finnish Army until year 1986. They were also declared obsolete the same year.

Finnish manuals list two AP-shells for this gun: 75 pspkrv 59/66-ps was old French M/1910 APHE-projectile loaded to 75 mm x 338R cartridge case while 75 psa - Vj4 had new AP projectile with 4 second tracer. However firing of "75 psa - Vj4" was recommended in extreme emergency only - gun carriage of 75 PstK/97-38 was not strong enough to endure lot of shooting with this ammunition. The recommended antitank ammunion were HEAT-shells. In Finland this meant ammunition with 75 hkr 42-18/24-38 (German 7.5 cm Gr. 38 Hl/B) warheads capable achieving about 75-mm penetration from 60-degree point of impact.

PICTURE: 75 PstK/40 antitank gun. (Photo taken in yard of Sotamuseo). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (48 KB).

distance	hitting angle	penetration
500 m	60 degrees	115 mm

Pzgr.39 AP round (792 m/sec):

distance	hitting angle	penetration
0 m	90 degrees	149 mm
500 m	90 degrees	135 mm
1000 m	90 degrees	121 mm
1500 m	90 degrees	109 mm
2000 m	90 degrees	98 mm
0 m	60 degrees	121 mm
500 m	60 degrees	106 mm
1000 m	60 degrees	94 mm
1500 m	60 degrees	83 mm
2000 m	60 degrees	73 mm

Pzgr.40 APCR round (tungsten core, 933 m/sec):

distance	hitting angle	penetration
0 m	90 degrees	176 mm
500 m	90 degrees	154 mm
1000 m	90 degrees	133 mm
1500 m	90 degrees	115 mm
2000 m	90 degrees	98 mm
2500 m	90 degrees	83 mm
0 m	60 degrees	137 mm
500 m	60 degrees	115 mm
1000 m	60 degrees	96 mm
1500 m	60 degrees	80 mm
2000 m	60 degrees	66 mm
2500 m	60 degrees	53 mm

- "Twentieth Century Artillery":

Pzgr.39 AP round (792 m/sec):

distance	hitting angle	penetration
500 m	90 degrees	132 mm

Pzgr.40 APCR round (tungsten core, 990 m/sec):

distance	hitting angle	penetration
500 m	90 degrees	154 mm

Pzgr.39 AP round (835 m/sec / 823 m/sec):

distance	hitting angle	penetration
100 m	60 degrees	98 mm
1000 m	60 degrees	82 mm

Pzgr.40 APCR round (tungsten core, 1180 m/sec):

distance	hitting angle	penetration
100 m	60 degrees	126 mm
1000 m	60 degrees	67 mm

HEAT round:

distance	hitting angle	penetration
any	60 degrees	90 mm

Development of 75-mm antitank gun had started in Germany already in 1939. 7,5 cm Pak 40 as Germans called this gun was basically scaled up version of earlier 5,0 cm Pak 38 with larger muzzle brake and more angular gun shield having two plates. Production started late 1941 and some 1,360 were sent to frontline troops in 1942. Production continued until collapse of Germany and totalled about 23,300 guns.

First Finnish deal of purchase for 75 K/40 antitank guns included 50 guns that were in two deliveries:

PICTURE: Closer look to systems of 75 PstK/40 antitank gun. Note semiautomatic breech system using horizontal sliding wedge breech and sighs in its left side. (Photo taken in Jalkaväkimuseo). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (79 KB).

Second deal of purchase was negotiated in March of 1943. Deliveries following it:

Soviet offensive in Karelian Isthmus in summer of 1944 lead to further deliveries:

Finnish AT-Gun Companies in 1944 can be divided to three categories: Divisional, (Infantry) Regimental and those belonging (new at that time) Brigades. Divisional AT-Gun Companies were the ones, which got 50-mm and 75-mm antitank guns. AT-Gun Companies belonging to Infantry Regiments and Brigades had to do with less effective German 37-mm and Soviet 45-mm antitank guns. However, this didn't mean that even some of the Divisional Antitank-Gun Companies would not have been armed with 37-mm and 45-mm at-guns. 75 PstK/40 at-guns delivered after beginning of Soviet offensive at summer of 1944 could only barely replace battle losses.

PICTURE: Another sample of 75 PstK/40 antitank gun. (Photo taken in Panssarimuseo). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (32 KB).

Finnish troops lost 60 guns of this type in battles of summer 1944. At that time this gun type was the best antitank-gun in Finnish use. However large weight of these guns made pushing them to position and off with men only almost impossible. Captured Komsomolets A-20 towing tractors (which the Finns used as towing vehicles of antitank guns in many units) barely had enough power for towing them. From those 60 guns lost in summer of 1944 48 belonged to 4th Army Corps (in Carelian Isthmus),11 belonged to Aunus Group (located north of Lake Ladoga) and only 1 belonged to 3rd Army Corps (in northern parts of Carelian Isthmus). PstK/40 was the last at-gun acquired by Finnish Armed Forces and remained as backbone of Finnish long-range antitank weaponry until being replaced by recoilless rifles and antitank missiles. In 1960's they remained as only antitank gun type which the Finns still maintained for antitank use. PstK/40 were kept in training use also after the war and remained in antitank weapons inventory of Finnish military until being declared obsolete in year 1986. After that most of the remaining 141 guns were sold to collectors, given to museums or used as monuments.

Finnish Army used all the four ammunition types listed above, but Pzgr.40 APCR-round was very rare in Finnish use. This is because only small number of this ammunition type was delivered in Finland (at least one shipment seems to have arrived in June - August of 1943). Besided the ammunition listed here the Germans had also less effective Hl/A and more effective Hl/C HEAT-rounds, but these doesn't seem to have been delivered to Finland. Ammunition Finnish military used with 75 PstK/40:

SOURCES:

Werner Haupt: Panzerabwehrgeschütze 3,7 cm - 5,0 cm - 7,5 cm - 8,8 cm-Pak 1934 - 1945 ohne Selbstfahrlafetten.

Alex Buchner: Deutsche and alliierte heereswaffen 1939 - 1945.

Erkki Käkelä: Marskin Panssarintuhoojat.

Article of Markku Palokangas: Anti-tank guns used by Finnish Army (Journal of Military History 17).

Article of Markku Palokangas: Sotiemme aseveteraanien myöhemmät vaiheet (Ase-lehti magazine edition 2/95).

Article of Risto Erjola: Ampumatarvikkeet sotien 1939 - 1945 aikana Suomessa (Tiede ja Ase, Suomen sotahistoriallisen vuosiseuran julkaisu N:o 48, 1990).

Pekka Kantakoski: Punaiset panssarit.

Jyri Paulaharju: Itsenäisen Suomen kenttätykit 1918 - 1995.

Article of Lauri Harvila: Panssarintorjunta-aseet (Kansa taisteli magazine edition 10/1976).

Terry Gander and Peter Chamberlain: Small arms, artillery and special weapons of the third reich.

Chris Chant: Artillery of World War II.

Ian Hogg: Twentieth-Century Artillery.

"Panzerabwehrkanonen 1916 - 1977" by Franz Koser.

Rolf M. Urrisk: Die Bewaffnung des Österreichischen Bundesheeres 1918 - 1990.

Kurt Sallaz and Peter Riklin: Bewaffnung und Ausrüstung der Schweizer Armee seit 1817, Panzer und Panzerabwehr.

Article: 75 K/40, Panssarintorjunnan selkäranka kesällä 1944 by Kari Kuusela in Suomen Sotilas magazine vol. 4/2004.

Military manual: 45 mm Jv. tykkiopas by Päämaja. (Printed 1940)

Military manual: Ampumatarvikenimikkeistö by Puolustusvoimien Pääesikunta Taisteluvälineosasto (printed 1941).

Military manual: Kenttätykistön ampumatarvikkeet by Puolustusvoimien Pääesikunta Taisteluvälineosasto (printed 1940, updates added until 1947).

Military manual: Jalkaväen Ampumatarvikkeet I by Puolustusvoimien Pääesikunta Taisteluvälineosasto (printed 1941, updated until September 1944).

Military manual: Väliaikainen 75 K/40 harjoitus- ja taisteluopas (1945)

Finnish Military Archives folder T19052/2

Finnish military archives, archive references T20206/F9, /F10 and /F11

Finnish military archives, archive reference T10910

Guns vs Armour by D.M. Honner

Battles of Winter War website Special thanks to its webmaster Sami Korhonen.

Documents from folder T/20207 /F16 sal in Sota-Arkisto (Finnish Military Archives).

Special thanks to Sotamuseo (Finnish Military Museum), Helsinki.

Special thanks to Panssarimuseo (Finnish Armour Museum), Parola.

Special thanks to Tykistömuseo (Finnish Artillery Museum), Hämeenlinna.

Special thanks to Jalkaväkimuseo (Finnish Infantry Museum), Mikkeli.